Marvel have finally announced that, yes, they will be publishing a new volume of Young Avengers this January, from the creative team of Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, and Matt Wilson. Revamping the team somewhat, this new volume of the title will see Kid Loki form a new team made up of Wiccan, Hulkling, Kate Bishop, Marvel Boy, and Ms America Chavez.

Do not fear, Patriot fans, I’ve already checked up on him – he is apparently due to appear ‘somewhere else’ during the start of Marvel Now, which is why he isn’t on the team. Fans of Speed… I cannot help. I’m sure he’s out there somewhere. The book seems to be more of an open-world approach than before, with Gillen offering that the team may well end up wandering over to corners of the Marvel Universe where Generation Hope or Runaways are (just to name two examples) at some point. The team seem likely to switch members at will, depending on requirements.

SO THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO FEATURE PIXIE, ISN’T IT

This version of Marvel Boy will be more like he was when Grant Morrison created him, and less like the ‘Protector’ thing Brian Michael Bendis gave him.

The first arc will see Wiccan make a terrible mess of things, no change there, which drags various other members of the group into his circle as they try to put out the fire. Hulkling will try to help, Loki will try to help Hulkling, and America Chavez will try to stop everybody from listening to Loki. Typically the Young Avengers have all been alligned to a particular member of the Adult Avengers – rather than Scarlet Witch, Gillen says that Wiccan will be the Hank Pym of the group, which seems like a fun move. Also, most of the team will get redesigns from McKelvie. Hurrah!

Young Avengers #1 will be out in January, preceded by a short story in Marvel’s ‘point one’ anthology.

Their going with the explanation that Noh-Varr is the Kree equivalent of a late teen human. Something like the Kree’s standard of a 18 or 19 year old. Still an adult, but merely a young adult. Outside Loki the members of the team are being written as young adults or at least late teens.